Interview: Nikoletta Molnár
Luca Curci talks with Nikoletta Molnár during MIXING IDENTITIES, first appointment of SENSES ART FAIR 2023, at ITSLIQUID Monti – Rome Art Space.

After my art studies, I started to work as a UX Designer and a Game Artist. Whilst I love both of my professions, I found myself recently longing to express myself differently. I started to paint again, but this time not digitally, but with brushes and paintings. I use distinctive black lines that run throughout my work. I carefully consider my choice of colors, but often, the further development of my work is done intuitively, without conscious planning. My abstract artistic style gradually blends with figurative and surreal elements because I’m interested in the deep experience of emotions and my artistic expression. My art captures moments of life, emotions, and thoughts. Through art, I try to bring the subconscious world to the surface, allowing us to understand and experience our emotional world. I’m interested in solutions where the visual image does not entirely show what we would initially think but goes beyond that and prompts contemplation.

LUCA CURCI – What’s your background? What’s an experience that influenced your work the most?
NIKOLETTA MOLNAR – I started to learn drawing at a very young age. It has been part of my life since elementary school. Then I went to an Art School in Győr, Hungary, where I had the opportunity to study not just drawing but also traditional graphics, like lithography, etching, lino cutting, or silk screen printing. I’m still grateful that I could learn all those techniques, because they are a little forgotten, while working with these methods is a true art in itself! I went to study digital graphics in College amongst fine art studies like drawing, painting and analogue photography. During all those student years I couldn’t make an artwork that lived up to my standards, or I could say, that they are an expression of my art. I always felt like I was thinking too much about what I should do, to please the audience, rather than open up and “feel what I need to create”. I had to wait until the age of 32, to make artworks that are truly a part of me.

Image courtesy of Nikoletta Molnár

Image courtesy of Nikoletta Molnár

Image courtesy of Nikoletta Molnár

LC – What are you currently working on?
NM – Usually, I work on multiple pieces simultaneously, most of the time they are from the same series. This time it’s different. I’m working on a commissioned artwork and also on a bigger project that involves working with two other photographers. I cannot say too much about this project now, but I can say, that we’d like to raise awareness to a specific topic and help people. I hope we can publish our material next year.

LC – Where do you find your inspiration?
NM – Inspiration finds me, I think. I always work with my emotions, so anything that touches my soul can be inspirational for me. Sometimes it comes as colours: I start to see a narrow spectrum of colours and I know I need to work with these on my next piece. Other times I see a shape or a figure and I start to put them on the canvas too. I believe these images that come to me are reflections of my subconscious and I can only make sense of them after I’ve painted them.

LC – How is it being an artist nowadays?
NM – I believe that it’s easier to be an artist these days than it was 20 years ago. When I was a kid, we could only find contemporary art in local museums and books, we could only see our teachers’ artworks and share methods and styles with each other in our class. Now, you can see millions of artworks and techniques on the internet, develop your own way of working, and show them to the world. It’s easier to find your audience, apply to art fairs, and get into galleries than before, but the competition can be bigger too. So far, I’m happy I started my career as an artist in these years.

LC – Which art themes do you pursue? What is your preferred subject, if there is any?
NM – Choosing the right colors, making abstract shapes and working with big gestures are part of my working process, but the black line art that comes after the painting is what connects all of my artworks. I always loved working with contours and strong lines and it’s still visible in my work. In this phase, when I work with a black maker, I find myself immersed in the painting and feel that shapes and figures are wanting to come alive. This process is what I’d like to continue to do and improve in time.

LC – What do you think about the concept of this festival? How does it inspire you?
NM – I presented my artwork at the MIXING IDENTITIES – SENSES Art Fair in Rome and I had the chance to be there at the opening of the event. It was a wonderful experience and it was great to see many contemporary artists with their amazing works from so many countries! I could see different techniques and painting methods in some artworks and had the chance to talk with artists about the story behind their artworks. The Art Fair inspired me greatly, I still think about it every day.

LC – What are your suggestions about our services? Is there something more we can provide to artists?
NM – I was completely satisfied with the Itsliquid Group service, we got every help we needed and the project manager was kind and supportive. We had the opportunity to show and present our artwork and introduce ourselves on foreign platforms.

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
NM – Yes, definitely. It is a great way to expand our network and I will apply again next year!